Irish Timesoddties.
FATHER FINDS LONG-LOST SON
A story which might come from Hollywood has just come to light in Paris.
During the war a French soldier, who was gravely wounded, lost his little son, aged five, who was left behind in the village of Senlis when it was captured by the Germans.
For 16 years the child has been mourned by his father as dead, but yesterday by sheer chance, the old soldier met a handsome young NCO, who related that he had lost his parents during the war, and had lived in Germany until 1925.
When he had given further details of his early childhood the overjoyed father fell into his arms and claimed him as his son, whom he had long given up for dead.
March 18th, 1931
NEVER DRANK TEA UNTIL HE WAS 70
The death had taken place of Neal Boyce, Aughavoy, Kilteevogue, Co Donegal, at the age of 115. His daily food was potatoes, oat bread and oat porridge. He never knew what tea was until he was about 70 years of age.
He could handle the scythe in the grass field at the age of 105. The old man smoked a clay pipe, with strong tobacco, up to within a few days of his death.
August 13th, 1927
DRUNKEN MAN'S FROLIC
A drunken man was threading his unsteady way home the other day in the outskirts of Sofia, when some high-tension wires caught his wandering attention. Drawing his revolver, he fired at them, and, by a sheer fluke, he severed one, causing a short circuit, which plunged the whole of Sofia into darkness.
This incident gave rise to rumours abroad that the power station itself had been wrecked by a bomb, and these elicited an indignant denial on the part of the authorities.
The high-tension wires which the reveller had put out of action conveyed the main current from the power station at Pontchelvo to the capital. In a short time the light was restored.
December 6th, 1927
MONKEYS INVADE HAMBURG HOMES
A swarm of 45 rhesus monkeys which managed to run away from their zoo cages in Hamburg two days ago, continued their monkey business in the city yesterday.
Managers of the world famous Hagenbeck Zoo reported that more than two dozen of the long-tailed Indian monkeys had been caught by policemen, firemen, zoo keepers and schoolchildren until high noon yesterday.
But calls for help from shocked housewives who met monkeys in their bedrooms and bathtubs were still pouring in from all parts of the city.
The brown-haired monkeys sat in trees and chattered excitedly, showing each other toothpaste, soap bars and bathroom utensils which they had grabbed.
July 25th, 1956
YOUNG FRENCH AIRMAN SURPRISED
An amazing thing happened at St Maur, a Paris suburb, yesterday when a young airman, who desired to attract the attention of his parents, flew so low that he alighted on the roof of a house.
Fortunately the airman was unhurt, but a young woman, who was looking out of a window in the house which he struck, had the fright of her life.
March 8th, 1929
STUNT FLYER PUNISHED
Laborie, the flying-officer, who disturbed the Sunday peace of the suburb of St Maur by bringing his plane to rest on the roof of a house, has been removed from the lists of military and civilian airmen.
He is also to be tried by the civil authorities for his stunt.
March 21st, 1929
Culled from the archives ofThe Irish Times , available online via ireland.com/archive